It’s become an equal-opportunity backfield. Sixteen of one, a dozen-and-a-third of the other.

Not that either was complaining or counting, but Mike Tolbert and Ryan Mathews could almost have been one and the same running back in these past two victories, given the fact that both have carried the ball a total of 33 times. Each had 16 carries against Kansas City and 17 versus San Francisco., with Tolbert gaining 66 yards to Mathews’ 65 in the first and Mathews compiling 56 to Tolbert’s 46 last Thursday.

“I’m not sure if there’s a method to the madness that Coach (Norv Turner) has, but it happens,” said Tolbert. “I don’t know if they’re keeping tabs on it like that, but we work well together. We complement each other.”

Though both are powerful and deliver hits as well as they take them, they are not exactly the same kind of runner, either. One of the few Chargers skill players who has yet to miss a game, Tolbert’s had the most time on the field and leads the team in both rushing (737 yards) and touchdowns (11), and six times he’s had breakaways of 20 yards or more. Tolbert's tied with tight end Antonio Gates for most first downs provided at 42.

Hampered by ankle problems until recently, Mathews has maintained a slightly better average gain per carry, 4.2 yards to 4.1. There is an element of teamwork at play, but admittedly, they're also driving each other to go farther.

“When it’s your carry, you gotta make something happen, kinda have to feed off what the other guy does,” said Mathews. “ Whatever he does, I gotta feed off it. It’s kinda like a competition. I get five yards, he’s gonna want to get five yards and more. He gets 10 yards, I want to get 10 yards or more. It helps us out over the long run.”

Tolbert said he, Mathews and Darren Sproles -- the latter of whom also is being involved more in the offense -- all are prepared to run any tailback play at any time in any game. If there’s any apparent rhyme or reason to when each gets the ball, Tolbert seems to be at his battering-ram busiest in the early stages of games, when defenses are girded to stop the running game, and when the Chargers get inside the opponents’ 10-yard line.

Obviously, the original plan was for Mathews to come in as the No. 1 draft choice and establish himself as the Chargers’ premier running threat. But as the Chargers learned from playing teams with backfield duos -- Oakland with Darren McFadden and Michael Bush, Kansas City with Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones -- there’s more challenge in having to deal with two runners instead of one.

“It’s hard to game-plan,” said Mathews. “When you focus on one running back, it’s like, OK, this guy is a downhill runner. With us, you have to prepare for two styles of running. That’s a little bit harder.”

Good rain

The Chargers practiced in the driving midday rain Monday, working on some corrections from Thursday and also getting a head start on preparation for Sunday’s game in Cincinnati.

The weather was seen as something of a blessing for the Southern Californians who will be playing in cold (and possibly snow) the next two weeks.

“Handling the wet ball and being out and just playing is good for us,” Turner said. “Having a two-minute drill in this situation where you’re in a two-minute drill and in the weather and the ball is not in great shape, you’ve got to handle it.”

The forecast for game time in Cincinnati is temperature in the low 20s with snow flurries.

Tunnel vision

As the Chargers reconvened after a weekend off –- one in which none of the teams they needed to lose did so -- Turner addressed his team by reiterating the message of controlling what they can control.

“I’ve been there where you get down, and you can’t,” Turner said after Monday’s practice. “We’ve got to find a way to win this week, and if we do that find a way to win the following week. And hopefully we get a break.”

Turner put off until the team’s return to practice Wednesday any predictions on their availability for Sunday’s game in Cincinnati. Gates is considered doubtful, but there had been optimism going into the weekend that Floyd and English could return. That did not seem to diminish.

Said Turner: “I think we’ve made progress, and we’re in pretty good shape.”